What happened
The pilot and passengers completed a local flight lasting approximately 15 minutes before returning to the airport. Upon arrival, the aircraft landed on the same runway used for departure, which was experiencing a crosswind condition. During the landing roll, the left wingtip struck the ground, resulting in damage to that specific area.
The pilot reported that at the time of departure, the wind was aligned directly down the runway. However, he did not anticipate that the wind direction would shift to create a crosswind component by the time the aircraft returned. Another runway, designated 5/23, was available at the airport but was not utilized for this landing.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the landing and the pilot's assessment of the weather conditions. The primary finding was that the pilot failed to account for wind shifts during the brief local flight, leading to a landing in crosswind conditions that resulted in ground contact with the left wingtip.